Episode 213: See It Through

The book has been published! Man oh man, what a journey it was and Claire is here to tell us about it firsthand.

Did you catch Claire’s first appearance on D2B? If not, check out Episode 172 for a formal introduction to Talent Boost and how they’re helping organizations keep growth at the forefront.

Tune in to episode 213 as Claire breaks down her 4 pillars as they relate to her latest book, talks about navigating through imposter syndrome and much more!

For more information about Growth on Purpose:

Website: growthonpurpose.com ; talentboost.net ; clairechandler.net

LinkedIn: Claire Chandler

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Of course we love interviewing new guests on the podcast, but we also love when guests want to return to the podcast. So before you tap into this episode, I need you to scroll back a little bit and go to episode 172, unique cohesion, where Claire first appeared on the Down to Business Podcast. We chatted all things talent boost, what she was working to do, how she was retaining clients, and how she was even helping serve large organizations without diminishing their value. With this episode, we really took a deeper dive into her book, Growth on Purpose, from the four pillars that are represented throughout the book to the actual process of getting things up, running, and published. And she'll be the first to tell you that while she is no stranger to being an author, this was by far her most rigorous process. But with this, she was able to do a lot of introspection, a lot of self-reflection to ensure that her methodology was still working for companies, for clients to really retain and make sure that that value is still there and being upheld. We had an amazing conversation, and we may even have to have a third conversation because, like they say, third time is the charm. But before we get to that, before we go too far into the future, enjoy episode 213. See it through. What's going on, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of the Down to Business Podcast here with Tamar Turner. I guess I should even really be telling Claire, welcome back. Just the same for those of y'all who um are familiar, for those of y'all who have tapped in with us more recently in our journey, or even just listen to the episodes. Claire actually joined us for episode 172, unique kind of cohesion, excuse me. So, you know, just to be able to have her back. One, just the fact that she has such an amazing experience that she wanted to come back is is good for me. You know, I I interview a lot of people, and I uh something I even was telling myself the other day, I was talking to somebody at my job, and he was just like, you know, we were just having a conversation. He was more so just asking me about like what I do, and somehow the podcast came up in discussion. He was just saying, you know, well, oh, I know what it was. So we were we were talking, and I had mentioned that I had an interview today, and he was just like, Oh, are you leaving your current job to go somewhere else? I said, No, nor would I say that so loud here at my current job if I was, but no, so he was asking me, he said, So what's the interview for? I said, Oh, for my podcast. He says, So you do that, like you you you work here and then you you podcast too. And so it just made me think about, you know, how um, yes, as much as as much effort and as much time and attention I give to my nine to five, my eight to five, I definitely have to give the podcast if not that much more attention. But it also just told me to give myself some grace too. You know, the fact that he was so amazed that I work a full-time job and then do interviews afterwards, and to me, it's just like, you know, it's second nature, it's in my, it's in my it's it's ingrained in me at this point. You know, I don't always feel like doing it, but I think, you know, even for the days that are bad at work or not the best or just slow or whatever have you, when I get on these interviews, it's like I can't even recall what just happened from eight to five. We're here now, so it's good. So I say all of that to say that I'm really just excited to be here. I'm really just excited that you've had such an amazing experience that you wanted to come back and share that with my audience, with your audience, and then some new people along the way. But before we get into all that, before we we even rehash a little bit about what we talked about, and then we kind of hash some new things about while we're here. How are you doing today? How's everything on your end?

SPEAKER_00 3:13

I, you know, tomorrow, I am doing fantastic. I I said to you right before you you hit record, uh, I'm just so appreciative to you. First of all, we did have such a great conversation the last time. Um, but as I joked with you, you already knew what you were going to get into. So the fact that you let me come back onto your stage um is just such an amazing thing. You know, you're you are one of these humans that is so energizing to have a conversation with. And the fact that you have built a podcast around just recording really genuine conversations. Um, you have a gift, and I I appreciate, you know, I appreciate you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

That means a lot to me. I really do appreciate that. Yeah, look, anything that I can I can do to just one, just bring awareness to others, but two, just also just tell those stories, have those conversations that otherwise may have gone untold or unhad. Or there is so much just out there that I'm learning with each episode, with each person, with each answer and question that I ask that it's just like, wow, there's so much more than what meets the eye. So I'm excited for all of that. So now, look, I know we're gonna have a few people for this interview. We're gonna have the people who know about you who tapped into the previous episode who listened to it, who know all things, talent boost, maybe even need a refresher. But we're also gonna have some people from your side too, who know kind of some of your recent accomplishments and some things that you were doing, and even a little bit as to why we're here today. But arguably, my favorite type of person is the one who knows nothing about either one of us, you know, coming, really discovering us in a sense, really following along this journey, really building this brand with us in a sense. And I love those people just because it gives them a fresh set of eyes, a fresh set of ears, but it also gives them something to look forward to and be excited about. So to make sure that we are being fair to everyone to bring everybody up to speed to put everybody on the same page, can you just do two things for me? One, tell us a little bit about yourself, and then two, tell us not what brings you on the podcast, tell us what brings you back to the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Well, uh, in addition to I just had such a great conversation with you last time as a fellow New York Giants football fan, uh, and all things business and all things entrepreneurial. Um, so a little bit of background on me, because again, I love the setup. Let's just not assume your audience knows anything about me or or that much about you for that matter. Um, so I'm Claire Chandler. I am a corporate survivor. I spent about 20 years in full-time uh corporate roles working for other people. And back in 2011, uh I got the gift of a cancer diagnosis that I'm cancer free now, but it was it was that catalyst that I needed to sort of reevaluate where I was on this journey of life and and have to honestly answer the question was I doing what I was passionate about? And when I finally acknowledged that the answer was no, I had to do something with that answer, right? And so 2011 was a big year for me, super transformative. I'm pretty sure we kind of talked about that the last time I was here. Um, so people, you know, definitely should check out that first conversation. But um, I call it a gift because it it really did shake me out of my complacency. It reminded me that I did have a choice about the path that I was on. And it really invited me to go and explore something new. And so two years later, after I uh I had left my corporate job in 2011, uh, really kind of stumbled around for a couple of years as an entrepreneur until I really figured out what I wanted to do. And in 2013, I founded my company, Talent Boost. So, fast forward to today, we are an executive leadership advisory firm, um, recently expanded. So, since we last talked, a couple of new developments and love to sort of unpack with you. Um, but we uh really serve large growing organizations uh who are looking to grow without losing their best talent, um, without losing the flavor and the style and the personality that kind of got them to where they are and really helped them to do that in a more efficient, effective way. So super, so super excited to be here and to explore everything with you.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

I love to hear growth. I love to hear new developments, I love to hear just even through everything that's happening, changes, adjustments, everything of the sort, the mission, the mantra is still holding true and holding strong. So I love to hear that because you know, talent isn't born, it's boosted. So it's um I I do remember uh a lot of what we talked about in that realm, but I'm also very interested to hear about, you know, I think about and to put it in context for the people who may have heard the episode, may not have heard the episode. Again, I tell you, Claire joined us for episode 172. So right now, um, I'm on episode 189. So my next episode will be 190. So almost 18 episodes ago. So some months back for sure, for sure. But you know, to really hear that one, that you're still here, that you're still rocking and rolling, you know, because everybody doesn't always have that same story, too, especially with everything going on. But very interested, as you said, to take a little bit of a deeper dive into what has happened, what's new, what's going on, what is talent boost doing. Congratulations, as I said, on the new development, on the new growth. But what did that consist of on your end?

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Yeah, so a couple of things. So since you and I last connected on your on your show, um, I you probably know, I'm sure we talked about this last time. I had written a couple of books and sort of uh business books focused on culture, focused on leadership and growth. And I just uh a couple of months ago released my latest book. Uh, it's called Growth on Purpose, How to Expand Your Business Without Losing Your Best Talent. And it took this was the book, although it wasn't the first one, I would say it was the it was the hardest and yet the most fulfilling. Um, I worked with a with a uh a hybrid publisher on this book, and it really forced me to be much more disciplined and rigorous about um unpacking the ideas in my head, unpacking the methodology that I apply in my business and in working with clients, and really lay out the journey for the audience that might pick up the book and kind of read through it and try to apply it to their business. Um, and so the the the writing of that, the exploration of the methodology that I use with my clients was really was really fulfilling because it it, you know, writing a book is it's exciting and it's scary, right? Because whether it's fiction, nonfiction, sci-fi, romance, whatever, um, it is it is a deeply vulnerable experience to kind of put something you've created out into the world. And so, you know, what I found in writing this book was that it also really held me accountable at a level that um was probably higher and deeper than other books and other work that I had done, because this one is a is a deep dive exploration into my um my methodology for helping companies grow and scale and engage the right talent and all those sorts of things. And so, in in laying that out and kind of building the roadmap for that through this book, it it really did help me to um sort of reevaluate the methodology that I was using. Is it the right one? Is it still valid? Is it still helping companies to move the needle and to grow in more sustainable ways? So that's been one of the biggest developments for me is just sort of um working on that book, working through that book, um, you know, kind of checking in with my clients, past and present, to make sure, you know, this methodology does what I say it does, um, brings the value I believe it does, and is is really going to be a message that more businesses and more leaders need to hear.

unknown 10:59

Whew.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Okay. Uh you know, you guys are working, you guys are thinking, you guys are reflecting, but you guys are also moving forward. And I think that that's so important, just in the time. You know, you can we we all kind of, I wouldn't necessarily call it stagnant or or comfortable, but we all get to a place in our business where it's almost like clarity. It's almost like, you know, you know why you're here, you know what you're doing, you know what the why is, you know who you're serving, what you're serving, maybe goals, numbers that you need to meet, profit, loss, revenue, everything like that. But there also gets to a point too where you don't want that hunger, that drive to diminish or to die out or to um kind of lose that oomph in a sense, you know. And I feel like that is why a lot of times we look to pivot and not necessarily pivot what we're looking to do or who we're looking to serve, but necessarily, you know, now let me publish a book. Or, you know, I've had some people say that, hey, I've been in this business for so long, and I felt like, you know, podcasting was a great way to get my message out there. And a lot of what I was saying on other podcasts was great. So we just did our own podcast. I've had other people, you know, start to put on annual maybe seminars or workshops or courses or anything like that. So it gets to a point where I feel like, you know, you have your core, your fundamental, your focal points, but you also kind of want to expound on that. You want to you want to almost be a Swiss Army knife within your industry and be able to serve, be able to help however you can. And I feel like talent boost is really just doing that, just that, and then some because you guys are not only really meeting people where they are and kind of doing an exploration with them, but you're also sticking with them, even throughout that process. And you're also kind of helping them. And as you said, it's all on purpose. This is not by accident, this is not unintentional. This is not, hey, if it works, it works. No, this is happening on purpose. So to really hear the book, to really hear all the intention behind it, it's so amazing to see. Now, I really want to take a deeper dive into the book, you know, because as you said, the experience of becoming a published author, it can be it can be here or there, it can be hit or miss, it can be some very great times, a very happy journey, or it can be some times where you're just ready to rip up everything and just say, you know, I'm I'm good on all of that, you know. But so I want to talk about, and especially as a previous author, I feel like with each book, it becomes a different, it's just a different, maybe a mindset or a different experience, or even if you not necessarily it could be a different process if you if you went a different route or anything like that. So, with coming into this, knowing that you wanted to kind of put this message out there, knowing that you wanted to get the word out to the masses, what what was your mindset? What were you thinking? Were you did you kind of already feel just a bit more at ease or just a bit more comfort because you've kind of done this rodeo before? Was it just a complete mind shift or mindset change for you as you looked to write growth on purpose? What was that like going into it?

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Oh my gosh. So there's so much that you just sort of sparked in me that I want to comment on, but you know, I don't want this to become like a multi-hour episode. Um, so we may have to continue this another time, but there's just so much that you just said that I kind of want to react to. First is um, you know, this this sort of feeling that we get as entrepreneurs, there's a reason that this journey, this entrepreneurial journey of kind of leaving the safety net of a corporate job that we might have complained about day in and day out or at least a couple of times a week, but it was the devil we knew. To jump into the entrepreneurial unknown is not for everybody. But what's interesting is every time that I know that I need to kind of raise my game and go to a uh to a new level of growth or or what have you, I know that the first requirement, and I know this because I counsel clients all the time. It's like you've got to systematize what you're doing now because you can't just wing it, you can't just be creative every time. And the challenge for us entrepreneurs, I know it is for me, is well, if I if I templatize and systematize and make more consistent and standard what I do, it's gonna get stale for me and that's not fun. And so we do reinvent the wheel with every client. We do, you know, do something new and different and creative in a in a different way from we, you know, from the last client engagement. And that's great for keeping our own ideas fresh, but it also invites a huge element of risk if we're not replicating what works, right? And so I'm sure you know this, but every consultant can kind of tell you it's like the old saying of the cobbler's children are the ones that need the new shoes, right? And I know that's a really outdated expression, but it basically means you know, it's sort of like if you're if you're talking to a learning and development team in a large organization, their employees are the last ones to actually get learning and development, right? And so, you know, when I go out and I talk to clients and they say, if you want to grow in a way that doesn't lose your best talent and doesn't break what you've already built, you have to standardize what's working and filter out everything else. And so writing the book was my way of doing something different so that I could keep fresh and I could keep that energy of doing something creative and channel that creativity while bulletproofing my consistent standard methodology and best practices, right? And so the the writing of the book really kind of helped me to satisfy both, to, to really um systematize the methodology I have been following for years and years and the best practices that I've developed through working with some amazing leaders and organizations, but doing it in a way that was different so that I didn't become stale or stagnant or feel like I'm just sort of, you know, doing this without thinking about it. Because I always I always knew in my corporate days and even you know early on in the consulting years, that the when I get to the point where everything is so second nature, I don't really have to think about it. I get bored, I get complacent, I get a little bit lazy, and then it's time to do something different, right? It's time, as you said, to pivot. And so this book was really um, you know, the the one that allowed me to channel that creativity and that need, that entrepreneurial drive to do something different every time in a way that would feed that while making sure that I could replicate best practices. So that was kind of the first thing. It was sort of like my my dopamine hit, if you will, for getting the getting the creative juices flowing while also standardizing what I do. Um, but the journey of deciding to write a book is still the same thing every every time I've gone through it. And I'm sure people in your audience who have either written a book or contemplating writing a book, the first, because you asked about mindset, the first mindset hurdle I have to get through every time I decide I'm gonna write a book is who am I? And what I mean by that is there's this sort of imposter syndrome that flares up in every single one of us, you know, week in and week out. And spoiler alert, I work with a lot of high-ranking executives who have been in executive leadership positions for years, if not decades, they still struggle with imposter syndrome. But there's this imposter syndrome that flares up when you decide to write a book that says, Who am I to write a book? Who's gonna want to hear from me? Who, you know, who am I to think I've got something valuable to put out into the world? There are so many other books by so many other authors, by so many other smarter people. And who am I? And so that is literally the first mindset hurdle that I tackle every time I think I'm gonna write another book. And you have to overcome that, the same that you have to overcome that as an entrepreneur, you know, endeavoring on any new activity or any new client engagement.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

And I I love to hear that answer because you know it could it just goes to show you that with each process, even when doing something that you've already done, when doing it again, there's just a different focus to it, there's just a different shift. And even sometimes you're taking what you may have learned, the trials and tribulations from before. You're you're thinking about all of that when you're putting it into this, at least if, as I said, if you're wanting to be genuine, authentic, and intentional behind it. So I really love that perspective that you just shared and that you just gave too. And look, if we need to do an hour-long follow-up at another date, I'm perfectly fine with that, just the same here, you know. So but I will definitely just say, you know, to work with the plethora of clients, the range of executives that you do, and to really just see where they are in their journeys. You know, I also just think that should be a bigger message for my audience and my business owners and my other entrepreneurs and creators out there, you know, that you are not alone in this and that at oftentimes it doesn't really matter at what scale, at what stage you are, there are still problems, there's still things happening. You know, I've talked to seven-figure, eight-figure earners who tell me that just because you have all the money, just because you're in position to be able to do so, doesn't mean that there aren't still problems that exist, doesn't mean that there aren't bigger scale problems now, you know, because those losses that some of us are taking as small or local business owners, entrepreneurs, I would not want to be taking some of those losses that we're reading about, like your Amazons or your Elon Musk's and different places. You know, some days we were waking up and we were just seeing how they lost millions and billions of dollars overnight. And they're still fucked, and they're still fluctuating, they're still fluid, they're still functioning, they're still going. And it's just like, you know, to think about my loss or to think about maybe a bad month that I had, it's just like, oh wow, that I don't have million-dollar problems yet. But you know, it always just goes to show that with business, everything remains the same. It's just a matter of the scale, the number we put on it, the magnitude of it. So I want to do something really quick. I want to give you four words, and I just want you to let me know what comes to mind when you hear these four. So, awareness, acceleration, aspiration. Should I give the fourth one? Or should I? I feel like you know where I'm going. Should I give the fourth one? You know the four, do you know the fourth one?

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Might as well. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Do I give the four form? Do I let her give it y'all? What do I do? Alignment. So when you hear these four words, and I say the alignment last on purpose, but when you hear these four words, what does anything in particular come to mind? Does it strike any thoughts or anything you want to share with us? Give us what you got.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Oh, I love it. So so you are teasing out for your audience here the four A's or the four pillars of growth on purpose, which became the anchor points for the methodology that I explore in the book. So, and you try to trick me, you did them a little bit out of order, so I didn't know where you were heading right right away. Uh, I thought, hey, what a coincidence. He he knows about awareness, but uh you do your homework and I know that. Um, so yeah, so those are the those are the four pillar posts or the four you know kind of anchor points to the growth on purpose methodology.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Now, with this, um, and yes, I do do my my my bill of you, so I gotta do my research for these people, man. I can't. Get up here and look a fool, but for when building out this framework, this methodology, thinking about these words, were you were you implementing what talent boost has in some capacity in some form or fashion? Is this kind of separate? Is this something that you've kind of already just known yourself and you've kind of just expounded on and explained it? How did these four pillars come to be what they are?

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Yeah, so um these were always the undercurrents of what talent boost was all about, right? These were always um some of the the methods and the practices and the um you know the the the frameworks, if you will, that have come about through um not just as a consultant, you know, but but also in my corporate days. So it's not like all of a sudden I became a consultant and started, you know, inventing things out of out of whole cloth. I mean, I you know, I walked out of my 20 or so years of corporate with a lot of knowledge and with a lot of best practices and a lot of things that I wanted to carry forward and certainly a lot of things I wanted to leave behind. Like don't don't get me wrong, it wasn't all you know, roses and sunshine, otherwise I would still be there. But um so yeah, I mean it's it's certainly it has certainly been an evolution over you know the years that I've been in business. Um, you know, and they became as part of um really taking that methodology and really making it not just something that I could replicate in a consistent and scalable way, but then when I translated it into the narrative form for the book, I wanted it to be memorable, right? And so previous to writing the book and kind of really nailing down the methodology, um it it it went through various forms. And then I struck upon the four A's because for me anyway, you know, I'm I'm big into I can remember things much better if they either form an acronym or there's some sort of an abbreviation that makes sense to me. And so, you know, when I was kind of looking at all of that, that's when I struck upon the the four A's. But the pillars of that, the pillars behind that um have been, you know, part of my and really core to my methodology and my practice um basically since the beginning.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

I love that. We you know, consistency is key for sure. So I I really love, no, one, just knowing the thinking behind everything and kind of what you where you were going into it and kind of how you've already been able to implement these in uh across just what you do as a business owner, entrepreneur, probably even when you, as you call it, were in your corporate survival days. You know, I I love that term. I'm gonna have to start using that to still survival for sure. But no, to to now see that this was kind of what you what you what the backbone of this methodology was and if what this framework was, it was very interesting to me. And then as you spoke to the reason why I think it kind of resonated with me so much too is because you know, just having a photographic memory, I said, Oh, the age, you know, that it aligned. And I said, Oh, she she might know what she's done. She she might have done something here with this one. So I really love to hear that now. In expounding a little bit more on just this process on getting everything published, on getting it all together, when you finished, when you basically felt like it was done, it's time to bring this out to the masses, maybe send it out to some people to get some reviews and some feedback or anything like that. What was your immediate feeling? Was it accomplishment? Was it eagerness? Was it tired? Were you tired just in general? Just was it was it something that in the did putting the, you know, because I think about I've never published a book, but I think about the process and I think about wanting to be an author at some point in my life. And I think about the the I guess the range of books that I would want to do. You know, I want to put an autobiography out there, I want to put different like podcasting or self-help, just different things like that out there. But I think about that, as you said, with each writing process, with each publication, it's different. It's different, it's a different mindset, it's a different time of your life. It may be different companies, different costs associated with it. So for you, for this time around, when growth on purpose was done, when you could finally close that chapter, when you could just say, All right, I'm ready for the next step, what was your immediate just emotion?

SPEAKER_00 26:23

When it was finally done, and uh now, first of all, what do we mean by done, right? But when it was finally live on Amazon, let's just say that. Because by by the time it went live on Amazon, it was like, I literally can't make one more change, right? I literally can't call out the publisher and say, you know what, on second thought, could you change this one word on the back cover? They would have hung up on me anyway. But so when it was finally, finally done, there was this feeling of elation and there was this feeling of relief because you know, there there have been times throughout my career when I set out to complete something and I and I didn't follow through all the way to the end. And I always hated that. I always hated the times when I committed to myself that I was going to see something through to the end. And the times that I didn't, whether it was because of circumstances beyond my control or circumstances completely within my control, I would beat myself up for that. And so, you know, this was something that um, again, wasn't my first book, but certainly the most rigorous. It took the longest to uh to complete because you know the process was was through a publisher, so there was a lot more um back and forth. And as you said, like there were, you know, there were there were steps in the process or milestones in the process where um I sent an early draft to a couple of of people that you know served as beta readers and you know gave me really good feedback. Um so I think by the time this one got done, I think it took about nine months. So somebody had said to me the other day, what so it was literally like birthing a baby. And it's like it really was, right? Like any of these creative projects that you undertake, um, they do feel a little bit, you know, a little bit like that. And because of the the length of the time, you know, when it was finally, finally done and out there in the world, and I literally could not do anything else to it or with it, there was this feeling of of relief because you know, it was it, it was a long process. I mean, there, you know, there were times during the process, the early draft where I just, you know, you could you you have to really train yourself. It's sort of like an exercise regimen, right? Like if you're gonna write a book, the the more structured you can be up front, the easier it is to actually write the book. And what I mean by that is if you've got a really good concept for what you want that book to be, what you want it to accomplish, what you want it to say, and then you sort of spend a lot of time or as much time as you possibly can on how is that gonna be structured? What is the outline of that going to be? What are gonna be the major themes, et cetera? If you do more of that upfront work, then the writing part does become much easier. But it doesn't mean it's easy, it's just easier, right? There were days when I would wake up and say, okay, you know, these first couple of hours in the morning I'm gonna dedicate to writing. And tomorrow I will tell you, I would wake up some mornings going just just like looking at the treadmill. It's like, I'm not feeling it today. And you know that the more days you tell yourself it's okay, you'll get back to it tomorrow, it's harder to get back on that treadmill. It's harder to get back on that on that writing schedule. Um, and as the draft started to really take form, there were sections in the book that I just I knew had to be part of the story, but I just didn't have as much energy to write, you know, that piece. And I can't even remember like a particular section or a particular subsection, but you know, it's sort of like there's the vegetables part and there's the dessert and there's the meat, right? And so it's like the meat's super important, but the vegetables kind of prop up the meal, and it's like you can't just write the dessert pieces because then they'll be done up front, and then you're you're stuck with the vegetables that you didn't want to eat. So there were definitely times in the drafting of it that I had to summon additional energy to get through. There were times when you know I got through that first draft, and I was like, I know for a fact that this first draft is horrible. Like I just, I just know it. And I'm like, and I'm so sick of it, I have to walk away. And so I would walk away from it for like a week. And then I would get back to it and be reinvigorated and see it with a more critical eye because I wasn't like, you know, living it and breathing it for every single day. Um, so there were definitely times during the whole process that I was like, not that it was going to give up, but I slowed myself down. I put barriers to progress that did not need to be there. And you know, that mental game is the hardest part, right? You early on in this conversation, you brought up mindset. You know as well as I do, that is the biggest hurdle is to get your mind in the right place to accomplish what you know you have within you to do.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

When the mind's not in it, everything is thrown off. And I I when I see other things in my life just starting to go wrong, I I know I attribute it a lot of time, nine times out of ten, I attribute it back to my mental, and then vice versa. You know, when I notice that the mental, I'm just not all there. I start to look at other aspects of my life, and that's when I realize that everything is just off balance a little bit, that equilibrium just hasn't been reached. So there can there can definitely be a lot with that, as you said, you know, with anything, with any process, whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, creative, corporate, with that, whatever. There are good days, there are bad days, or those rainy days and those those sunny days, you know. But it's it's always about too how do you rebound from that? And I think sometimes we need that along the creative process. We need days to just not do anything or not work on it or not, you know, because you don't also want that to reflect said book. You know, had I opened that or recorded maybe a podcast on a day where I just wasn't in, I was out of it, or maybe if I didn't reschedule, that could reflect my impression on that on said person, and it could also reflect the quality of the interview, it could it could do a lot of just different things and it could almost do more harm than good when it's all said and done. So I I think that that's important too, but I also think too, it's about a lot of that self-realization and self-self-reflection. Hey, I'm not on my I'm not on my game right now, I'm off my rocker a little bit. What can I do to recalibrate? Do I need to, you know, sometimes a nap works, sometimes food works, sometimes a prayer works, a walk, music, whatever the case may be. But sometimes we just need that reset, that revamp, and to keep pushing forward. I could imagine with the book, though, that when people get done reading, there are obviously going to be just some points that you need to nail home, some takeaways, everything. But I also could imagine, too, that depending on who you are, depending on where you are, perhaps in your journey, depending on even where you're trying to go, your takeaways could be a bit different. Whereas there are centralized probably themes, there are centralized pillars, there's a centralized framework and methodology. Everybody is gonna pull a little bit of everything from growth on purpose. Would you say that there is anything that when people get down, when people close that last page and read the back cover, if they don't do it before they start, when they read that back cover, is there anything that you want them to really just have, to really always keep at the top of mind to really, when they see the cover of that book, you know, because I feel like we often attribute things or memories or experiences to books as well. You know, I could see certain covers of my favorite books, and while I can't recall probably every single thing in that book, I might be able to tell you when I started that, why I started that, or something that really stood out to me. So is there something like that with growth on purpose? When people look at that cover, when people even read that name and see your name beside it, what do you want them to know?

SPEAKER_00 34:08

Again, you know, you have this gift for asking questions that make me want to give you so many different answers, right? Because it's such, it's kind of a loaded question, really. It's like, what do I want them to remember? What do I want them to do with it? Um, and and what do I want to invoke with the with the with the cover? You you you said something a couple of minutes ago that really that really resonated with me. I mean, you you've said a lot, but a couple of things you just said a moment ago that are relevant to this to this question, um, you know, one of which is you have to meet people where they are, right? You had said that earlier. Um, and whether you're reading a book or you're applying business or you're working with a client or you're doing you're doing anything, whether it's creative or or or purely business. When you start it, and you just said, you know, there's some books that you're like, I don't remember everything about the plot, but I remember where I was and why I started it when I did. There, there's there is this pull, you know, in your life, in your universe, at your core, in your spirit, whatever it is, that puts things in your path at a specific time. And I know that there are books and people and movies and other experiences that I will go back to because there's something pulling me, because there is there is a different lesson I'm gonna get from that book, from that experience, from that person, from that conversation, the second, third, and fourth time around, whether it's because I'm evolving or because I'm going through something different now than I was the first time, right? Um, and so one of the kind of the magical things about this book, or or really any book, but this particular book is the methodology, the pillars, the four A's. There are also the four P's of culture, which you know what the book gets into too. Um it is flexible enough, you know, it's rigid enough that there is uh there's absolutely best practices kind of packed into those four pillars, and there's a consistency and a scalability to it, but it's also flexible enough to meet people where they are. So I would say this is a long-winded intro to answer your question, but it's two things. Um, one is so many people buy business books and and don't actually get around to reading them. So for your audience, I would love for every single one of them to go out and buy the book, even if it's the Kindle version, or find me on LinkedIn and ask me to send you a copy, which I am happy to do. But even if you don't read it, go and take the assessment that I invite you to take in the early pages of the book. Because even if you never read the full book, the results you get from the assessment, uh, and you can go to growthonpurpose.com slash assessment. It's free. It takes five minutes and it will instantly generate this really detailed report of recommendations that meet you where you are in your business, wherever you are in that evolution toward growth on purpose, and it will give you actionable rec actionable recommendations that you can apply right away. So that's the that's the first thing. Every single person in your audience, regardless of where they are in their journey, regardless of where they are in their hierarchy, can go take that assessment, get their results, and start to uh see improvement in their business right away. So that's kind of answer one. The second thing, though, is like I, you know, I said, this book is a deep dive into my methodology that I have been practicing for years, that I have kind of honed, that I've gotten to um, you know, a well-oiled machine, but in a way, again, it's flexible enough to meet you where you are. But because of that, there are so many different pieces and parts to those four pillars that can feel overwhelming to somebody and you know, on a different part of their journey and to the same leader who reads it tomorrow versus reads it two years from now, right? But four things are constant. When you apply this methodology and you understand what growth on purpose is all about, you understand you need to understand that that the best organizations and the best leaders fulfill four needs of employees and they align with the four pillars. So if you remember nothing else, if you remember nothing about the, you know, how I am on the maturity curve of these four pillars, remember this. Your employees need four things. They need a reason to believe, right? They need a reason to believe in your leadership and your organization and your culture. And so the aspiration pillar kind of accomplishes how you give them that reason to believe. They need a place to belong. We are at a point in the evolution of the modern organization where people are no longer, you know, staying with the same company from cradle to grave, right? But for the time that they are staying, they are looking for a community feel. They are looking to spend time with people that they can relate to, that they can feel supported by, and that they feel empowered to support. And they want that in ways that play to their own strengths. And so there's an awareness pillar that kind of unpacks how you give people a place to belong so that for whatever amount of time they spend in your organization, they can do that in a more productive and more fulfilling way. So that's need number two. The third thing is employees need the space to break stuff. And here's what I mean by that. You know, a lot of organizations talk about failing forward and they want people with an entrepreneurial spirit and they want you to try things new and they want you to be innovative. And the first time you stumble, the first time you fall short on a big idea, they slap your hand. And this is the reason the trust is very low. Trust in organizations is absolutely foundational to culture, and culture is foundational to success. And so employees need the space and the freedom and the empowerment and the permission to break a couple of things, to question the status quo, to break down small problems so that they can get to the meat of it, which is the bigger problems that are holding back your business, right? And they need and they need that to be okay. They need to be able to reach for the stars and hit a planet and still move the organization forward and feel good about that. And so we need to build up that trust. So that third pillar, acceleration, is all about how do you accelerate and deepen trust between employees and their leaders and across teams so that they can break stuff in a forward-looking way. Okay. And the fourth one is employees need a future that they can buy into and build. I think too often leaders think, well, we're just going to squirrel away our executive team and go on a retreat at some exotic location, because it's always an exotic location. And they're going to come out of this sort of um, you know, secret society kind of a meeting with the growth strategy for the organization over the next five to 10 years. And then they wonder why people don't buy into it. I talk to private equity investors and I talk to executive leaders all the time. And one of their common complaints is we have a brilliant growth strategy. Like it's really, like, we're really proud of ourselves. We patted ourselves on the back, coming back on our private jets. And we can't understand for the life of us why employees are digging their heels in and why they're resisting in every turn. And it's like because you went away to your private island on your private jet and you made this brilliant growth strategy and you patted yourselves on the back and you didn't invite in the people that you're going to turn around and say, now go and build it. Now go and execute it. Right. And so employees, you know, you don't have to tell them everything. You don't have to share, you know, insider trade secrets and all that stuff. But you do need to bring them into the room to say, this is our vision for the future. What do you think? How would you shape it differently? And how can you deeply connect to it? And when you can make connections for people between what they do and what they bring to the table and how that contributes to the bigger picture and why that matters to the organizational mission, then all you have to do is get out of their way because they will enthusiastically build that future for you. So those are the four needs. And I I kind of went through them quickly. And I know that a lot of leaders are going to hear that and say, that's a lot to try to deliver, but your employees are telling you in your engagement surveys, they're telling you in their onboarding experience, they're telling you in the in the learning and development opportunities they're getting and not getting. They're telling you in the conflicts that they're involved in, they're telling you in the employee relations issues that they are creating that this is what they need. And the companies that give it to them are the companies that are going to win.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

See, I'm glad I asked. That's why you gotta you sometimes you gotta ask those questions because you evoke such an emotion or such an answer and even such a passion that you know people may not necessarily understand, and they could even reframe or restructure their approach to how they read the book or um and even how what they take away from it, you know, because I often feel like too, sometimes people just become not critical of maybe a framework or a methodology or something, but not as critical of the internal or the operations or what they're doing or why this isn't this. You know, you could have something that looks brilliant on paper, but when implemented or when you you put those pieces to that puzzle together, it it just it's not cohesive. No pun intended on our name for our last episode as well. But so now, uh as I kind of spoke to in the beginning, I know that we're gonna have so many people within this journey now, people who were tapped. Into episode 172, people who knew about you before the podcast, people who knew about you as a result of the podcast, and then people who are finding out about you now. So for everyone, what can what's next? I feel like you know, talent boost, Claire, you guys are always just cooking up something. You always got something up your sleeve or thinking about something. And even just as a business owner or entrepreneur, we know we we're always thinking long game, bigger picture, kind of staying ahead of that eight ball, staying ahead of that curve. So without spoiling anything, without debuting anything that doesn't need to be debuted just yet, what can the people expect moving forward going into even to a new year?

SPEAKER_00 44:34

Yeah, I love it. So I did mention uh earlier in the conversation that since we last talked, not only did I publish my latest book, but I expanded my business. So um I convinced my husband, who recently was paroled from his own corporate job, to come on board with Talent Boost. And now he is a partner in the business. And this is truly an experience of one plus one equals three, right? Um, so while we are still an executive leadership advisory organization, my specialty and my passion is all around building stronger cultures, um, helping leaders, you know, not disengage or disenfranchise their employees and really build organizations they can be proud of. He brings to the table this operational excellence and efficiency, um, you know, the role um rigorous due diligence around growth and mergers and acquisitions. And so we've gone from, you know, me being a solopreneur who has a finite capacity to, you know, to deliver to clients at the high level that I want to continue to do and be proud of. We now have a full-scale um offering, quite honestly, that is very powerful to these large growing organizations. So the sweet spot in terms of the clients has not changed, but our ability to help them grow and to scale and to expand their business has just amplified. And I am I am so excited about it. It's it's so funny. I was um was talking to a client the other day and and sort of introducing these expanded services that we can now uh offer in support of their success. And I said, you know, and I introduced him to my to my partner, who's also my husband. And he looks back and he goes, You're gonna you're gonna have to tell me someday how you make that work, right? Um it's it's just so interesting. But I just, you know, I feel very blessed that we get to partner um in this new way. We've always sort of been silent partners to each other, you know, in the business. He's always been my my biggest supporter and a sounding board for me. Um, and I have been for him. And now we get to do that loud and proud, and now we can do that, you know, um, as part of the same business. And I'm just I'm just super excited about this next chapter and you know, kind of hurtling toward 2025 and seeing what the future brings for us and for our clients.

SPEAKER_01 47:03

Yeah, that's amazing. It's it's nothing like being able to have your own household within the, you know, because the I feel like naturally the household is already just within the business interest. You know, they're gonna support, they're gonna help you, they're gonna be when you need some quick feedback or a quick test or something like that to real quick, they can always do that. But to have it on paper, to have it really documented for it to be official, official, that's amazing. So obviously just wishing nothing but continued success because I won't even I I I really just even look at the 18-episode gap that we've had and just thinking about everything that you've done since then and the LinkedIn and just following along with all your progress and just the promotion and just everything that you're doing, and it has really just been mind blow-blowing, but not even mind-blowing like in a bad way, but just like wow, like she's doing it, and it's really happened and it's really coming to fruition. And even to see some of the things that we talked about months ago, really, even now into action or in the works and or accomplished, it's amazing. So, before we officially wrap up, before we give the plugs as to where people can find you, tap in with you, everything of the sort, do you feel like there is anything that we have not touched on today that you want to leave for the people? Even if it's any last words for my business owners, my entrepreneurs, my creatives, my corporate survivors, just anything out there that you want to leave the audience with?

SPEAKER_00 48:17

Uh, well, first of all, thank you again for for letting me back into the room because you didn't have to, you know, when I reached out to you a month or so ago and I said, Hey, you know, would you be, I've got this new thing, this book just came out. Would you be willing? And like I didn't even get it out. You were like, when can when can we talk? Um, so I appreciate you so much for just creating this um this space for us to have such a such an amazing conversation. I, you know, I would say the only the only thing left unsaid is I think so often, there's a there's a lot that we talked about in this conversation. There's a lot that people can learn and sort of pick up and start to apply like immediately from the book. And I really hope that they do. But there's also this tendency for all of us entrepreneurs to overthink things and to overcomplicate things. And I know I am guilty of it. I know that when I am about to undertake, whether it's the expansion of the business because my husband became an equal partner, or it's you know, writing the book, or it's uh, you know, really sort of unpacking the methodology that I do and do it in a way that I can scale it. The first step is always the hardest because, at least for me, I start to think several moves ahead and I go, well, how is this going to end up? How will this turn out and what will the impact be? And I know a lot of entrepreneurs go through that same overthinking and overcomplicating. And so the that sort of last message would be you're making it more complicated than it needs to be. And it doesn't really matter how big that first step is as long as it's in the right direction. So don't overthink things so much. We tend to do that because we spend so much time in our own heads and in our own, you know, mindset again. Uh, and that's why that part is so critical. But stop overthinking that next step and just take it.

SPEAKER_01 50:05

I needed to hear that myself. So I'm I'm a big, yeah, I'm a big just overthinker, just second game, you know. But now I'm just, as you said, as long as it's moving forward in some direction and some as long as I'm it's 1% better. That's that's my biggest thing. That's my biggest mantra these days. So, nah, absolutely welcome. You uh, you know, it's been a pleasure, as I spoke about in the beginning, to know that you came on the first time, had such a good experience that you wanted to return. Uh, to me, that just that means the world. So I appreciate you one just coming on here again and dropping the gems for my people, just making things happen, but also just offering yourself as a resource and really giving that call to action that I always give to. But definitely it always sounds better just coming from the the interviewee themselves, just because as I as I speak to all the time, you know, I try to get people to understand that these are real life experts, these are people that you know, on the average, you you may not meet them, you may not you know, connect with them, you may find a book or two by them, but you may not actually be able to really hear them speak, hear real life conversations, have them at your disposal, have their email, have their phone number, have their book, anything of the sort like that. So to really be able to sit virtually, sit next to whatever the case may be with these people of your stature, is it's really just been amazing for me and it teaches me so much. So, to everybody out there, I'm definitely encouraging y'all to take that assessment to get on it. We know y'all love free and we know y'all love quick. She said that is both of them. So let's make that happen now. Claire, before we officially close out, can you just give us everywhere we can reach you? We can check out the website, we can order the book, everything. Give us everything you got.

SPEAKER_00 51:34

Absolutely. So the first and foremost, growthonpurpose.com. That will be your entry point to one to taking that free and quick five minutes assessment. Some people have done it in two. I'm not trying to be all competitive about it, but like it's a really quick assessment and it's going to pay off. So growthonpurpose.com, you can click the button to take that free assessment. There's also a button that will take you straight to the Amazon page where you can order the book if you would like. It is available in paperback and on Kindle. Uh, I'm working on the Audible version now that should be available pretty soon. Um, so go there as well. Uh, you'll see my uh website, the one that I now have with my partner and husband, talentboost is talentboost.net. And my personal branded site is clairechandler.net. But as I said earlier, and I want to make sure that people take me seriously, if you would like a free copy of the book, come find me on LinkedIn. Uh I'm sure we'll we'll drop the uh the links in the in the notes or what have you. But come find me on LinkedIn, say hello, connect with me, and ask for a copy of the book, and I'm more than happy to send one your way.

SPEAKER_01 52:42

If I was y'all, I'd go buy that book, but y'all can y'all can connect with her on LinkedIn too. Show some love. She she posts a lot and it's a lot of insightful information, a lot of things that I can I can take gems from too, just the same. So, Claire, again, thank you. Just thank you for everything that you're doing. I'm very excited, one to hear just what has happened in our time apart, but also just to hear about what's to come and you know what you've already kind of had going on, and as we think about even ending this year, moving into another year, how the growth is still happening and it's on purpose. So, thank you for all that you do, wishing obviously nothing but continued and the utmost success and whatever we can do from the down to business side to support, never hesitate. We're always here. And to everyone else, everybody who continuously taps in with us, whether you joined us today on LinkedIn, Facebook, or YouTube, whether you're going to listen to this at a later date, or whether you just show love to the podcast in any capacity that you do. I love you, I appreciate you. This has been another episode of the Down to Business Podcast. Here we're tomorrow turner.